The tallest animal in the world is the giraffe... The reason why giraffes are the tallest animals in the world is mainly due to their long necks and legs (the front limbs are longer than the hind ones), especially their particularly long necks. When they raise their heads, they resemble a tall watchtower. Giraffes are generally about 4-5 meters tall, with the tallest recorded at 6.09 meters. The tallest giraffe on record was a Masai male giraffe named "George" from Kenya, which arrived at Chester Zoo in the UK on January 8, 1959. When it was nine years old, its head almost touched the roof of the giraffe house that was over 6 meters high. This giraffe died on July 22, 1969. Wild giraffes that have been hunted are said to be nearly 7 meters tall, which is one third taller than the tallest elephants.